Car tests | Check your distance | Mobile phone hazards
CAR TESTS
HAS YOUR CAR BEEN TESTED?

Links to individual vehicle ratings in our 40 mph FRONTAL OFFSET CRASH TEST. A major part of IIHS' current testing program is Crashworthiness Evaluations of new passenger vehicles. The principal component of each vehicle's rating is performance in a 40 mph frontal offset crash test, based on certain criteria. This test is a good measure of a vehicle's structural design.

Choose a make and model:

or see BEST PICKS FROM ALL CATEGORIES

Watch a frontal offset test demo (451K QuickTime movie)

Important note: All of the passenger vehicles for which the Institute has 40 mph frontal offset crash test results are shown on this website. The Institute tries to cover as much of the marketplace as possible with this testing program. The vehicles represent a range of manufacturers and the largest portions of new car sales. Please note that we do not have crash test results for other vehicles, and we do not release information in advance about individual vehicles (or categories of vehicles) we plan to test. Check back with our site periodically or sign up on our homepage for email notification of our news releases that cover new crash test results. For further information on our testing programs, see FAQ page.

In addition to the 40 mph frontal offset test, a wide range of tests are performed at the IIHS Vehicle Research Center. They include:

LOW-SPEED (BUMPER) CRASH TESTS Bumpers should protect car bodies from damage in low-speed collisions, the kind that frequently occur in congested urban traffic. But many don't. The Institute conducts four 5 mph crash tests to assess bumper performance.

HEAD RESTRAINT TESTS You know that safety belts and airbags restrain occupants in a crash, but did you know that the thing on the seat that many call a "head rest" is really a restraint that prevents heads from snapping back in a rear-end collision? At least that's what head restraints are supposed to do if they're well designed and properly adjusted. Is yours? Find evaluations of head restraints in more than 2000 vehicles.

SIDE IMPACT TESTS The Institute has conducted both side-into-pole and vehicle-to-vehicle crash tests to demonstrate the effectiveness of side airbags that protect people's heads as well as torsos.

See two BMW 5-series, one with an airbag to protect the head and one without, tested in 20 mph side-into-pole crash tests (1,887K QuickTime movie).

List of 2001 and 2002 models with side airbag head protection systems

News release, December 14, 2000: Impressive crash test performance for vehicles with side airbags that protect occupants' heads

Status Report special issue: head protection in side impacts, January 6, 2001

Consumer publications that provide more vehicle evaluation information:

Injury, Collision & Theft Losses If you want to know which vehicles have good, bad, or mediocre ratings for insurance injury, collision, and theft losses, see this Highway Loss Data Institute publication.

Status Report, Vol. 35, No. 7, August 19, 2000
Special report: driver death rates html or PDF format

Shopping for a Safer Car The Institute often is asked to identify the safest car. Truth is, the mythical car that will guard its occupants from all injuries in all types of crashes doesn't exist. But there are ways to select a safe vehicle. Check out this page to help you make an informed decision.

©1996-2002, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Highway Loss Data Institute | Copyright and Use of Images Notice Last modified: 09-Dec-2002

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Car tests | Check your distance | Mobile phone hazards CAR TESTS HAS YOUR CAR BEEN TESTED?

Car tests | Check your distance | Mobile phone hazards
CAR TESTS
HAS YOUR CAR BEEN TESTED?